


Between This World and Insanity

by orphan_account



Category: Walking Dead
Genre: Gen, Tumblr, USS Caryl Music Lyric Drabble/Fanart challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 05:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 4x04 'Indifference.'<br/>Written for USS Caryl's Drabble challenge on tumblr.<br/>Unbeta'd, not prof-read. </p><p>His eyes were stinging, he realised and forced a blink to help ease the ache. He’d been there for two hours trying to sleep, trying not to think about where she was, if she was safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between This World and Insanity

**Author's Note:**

> Just a drabble inspired by Lene Marlin's Unforgivable Sinner.
> 
> I really haven't written in a while, and I'm very sure Daryl is very OOC but I just really wanted to try get my muse going and this seemed like a good way.

The gray ceiling of the prison was peeling above Daryl, though he barely noticed the small trail of crumbs that fell from above onto his chest. His eyes were stinging, he realised and forced a blink to help ease the ache. He’d been there for two hours trying to sleep, trying not to think about where she was, if she was safe, if she was able to sleep unlike him, if she was still...

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the hell that surrounded him. He ignored the faint smell of smoke that crawled into the room and tried to focus on his breathing. Pressing the ball of his palms to his eyes, he tried to focus on the patterns that creeped across his eyelids. 

What if she got bit? She might already be one of those things and he didn’t get the proper chance to say goodbye, just like his old man, just like Merle, just like all the others they’d lost. He was so tired of losing people. 

He let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and tried to relax again, but this time he was interrupted by the sound of a distant voice singing in the cell block. He shifted onto his elbows, confused. The only person he’d known to sing was Beth and she were in quarantine. He frowned as the sound came closer to his cell, finally stopping outside. Then she poked her head in the door. 

He jumped at the sight of Carol, looking as fine as the day before this whole mess, smiling at him with that smile he knew she saved just for him. He exhaled his relief as he moved closer, but her smile turned to a frown. “Why aren’t you looking for me?”

He stopped, confused by the question. She repeated herself. “I thought,” she looked hurt as she turned away from him, “I thought you cared.” She sniffed and his face fell.

“No.” He breathed, he was having another nightmare, he was seeing things and he couldn’t handle it, not now when they’d finally got their shit together, not again, not _Carol_.

A bittersweet smile spread across her features, “I guess I should have expected this. Still a burden I guess.” It didn’t look good on her, he didn’t want her to hurt like this. 

“No.” He repeated, saying the word over and over and over, “No!” His voice raising as she began to cry, telling him how alone she was, how cold. “No, no, no.” He was pacing slightly, distressed and unsure what to do with his hands as they would come up and fall again with each syllable. 

“No!” He screamed, not hearing the echoes, only now hearing the sobs of the woman who wasn’t in front of him. He didn’t pay attention to the arms restraining him, or the yells of his name, he didn’t notice the tear that stained his face, only noticing the ghost three feet away.


End file.
